Nokia Lumia 610 Review

The Nokia Lumia 610 represents a new breed of Windows Phones, those running Windows Phone 7.5 (codenamed Tango). This version of the platform was designed by Microsoft with low specifications in mind and the Redmond-based company, together with its OEMs, like Nokia, are hoping that these low-end/budget phones will help the platform gain market share as well as enter emerging markets. Due to the lower specifications, the price-point of these devices is also on the low end, trying to compete with other similarly-priced smartphones running Android or the almost-abandoned Symbian.

Windows Phone is known as a platform that doesn’t require strong processors and a huge amount of memory. It is able to deliver a smooth user experience on lower specifications, but the internals of the Lumia 610 are even below those found on wave-one Windows Phones. Do these specifications alter the user experience? Is Windows Phone running with that signature “buttery smoothness” on the Lumia 610 too? Check out our full review below to find out!

Video Review

Specs

The Nokia Lumia 610 is not a powerhouse. It has low specifications compared to even first-wave Windows Phones, not to mention those on the market today, like the Lumia 900 or the Titan II. However, the low specifications are exactly what Microsoft had in mind with Tango. At the heart of the Nokia Lumia 610 there’s a single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor clocking at 800MHz, and there’s not much RAM to complement it: 256MB.

The ROM size is also 256MB and the internal storage is half of what you’ll find on most Windows Phones on the market at the moment, with only 8GB for your pictures, videos and documents. Of course, there’s always SkyDrive to expand it some more — since there’s no microSD expansion slot on the phone (which is not Nokia’s fault at all). The camera is one of five-megapixels with an LED flash, and the screen is lower-end in terms of quality. It’s a 3.7-incher with a WVGA resolution of 480×800 pixels (and 252 ppi).

The radio on the Lumia 610 makes it compatible with GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz as well as HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100MHz networks. It can connect to WiFi b/g/n hotspots and has Bluetooth 2.1, aGPS, an accelerometer, and FM tuner, all powered by a 1,300mAh battery.

Hardware

If we need to describe the Lumia 610 in a single word, we’d probably use the word “candy,” not because it is somewhat of a candy bar design, but because of the shiny backing which embraces the lower part of the front as well as the vibrant color. Nokia made sure to make the phone available in several flavors: white, magenta, black and the cyan which we’re reviewing.

The overall size of the smartphone is medium in a world where huge devices are more and more popular, rocking 5.3-, 4.8- and 4.7-inch screens. It measures 119mm in height, 62mm in width and 12mm in thickness. With the battery inserted, it weighs 132g.

The top part of the phone’s front holds a tiny speaker right above the Nokia logo. There’s a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor at the far right but you will not find a front-facing camera on this phone — which could be a deal-breaker for some while others can easily live without it.